Two highly-anticipated Wii RPGs will arrive in Europe in 2012, but Americans may miss out.

It's good news/bad news time. The good news: The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, two Wii RPGs with a large cult following, have been confirmed for an English-language release in 2012. The bad news: An American release for the titles remains elusive.

The European localization of these games is largely a response to an extremely vocal fan campaign called Operation Rainfall, which began back in June. Their goal is to see the Western release of three highly-anticipated Japanese RPGs for the Wii: Xenoblade (already confirmed for an August 19 release in the PAL regions), The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower.

Now, the remaining two games will join Xenoblade in the Old World (and Australia), but American fans will have to hold tight. According to Reggie Fils-Aime (President and COO of Nintendo of America) during an interview with IGN, "We will be watching very closely what happens in Europe ... Certainly if there are business opportunities and positive consumer uptake from some of those titles, that will be great data for us to consider as we look at what to do with these titles."

Operation Rainfall should be commended for swaying the opinion of a corporate giant like Nintendo, but their work is not done yet. At this point, the games' European sales are probably the only thing standing between them and the shores of the Americas. European fans, take note: Whether these games see an American release or not is likely in your hands.

deth2munkies:I honestly think the games will probably fail. Europe has always been light in the RPG market and on top of it, the games are being pursued by a vocal minority, not a large segment of customers.

We'll see though. I personally am a member of the vocal minority that really wants to see these out here.

plus it says 2012 and if it comes out around the time of mass effect 3 or any other big names in 2012 then there's no hope for it ever being in america

No really, it's great to see the US get screwed by game publishers for a change.

I've ordered Xenoblade Chronicles, hopefully it will arrive tommorow.

I'll shall see how interesting these other two games are closer to release.

It's a different type of being screwed over, though. Europe gets screwed over by getting games released later for no reason. This is a case of the games not being released at all. And really, why take joy at someone being screwed over in the first place? It's not like we laugh or gloat about the late European releases. Well, the vast majority of us, anyways - being the internet there are undoubtedly a few jerks that do so. But surely you don't consider yourself to be their European counterpart?

No really, it's great to see the US get screwed by game publishers for a change.

I've ordered Xenoblade Chronicles, hopefully it will arrive tommorow.

I'll shall see how interesting these other two games are closer to release.

It's a different type of being screwed over, though. Europe gets screwed over by getting games released later for no reason. This is a case of the games not being released at all. And really, why take joy at someone being screwed over in the first place? It's not like we laugh or gloat about the late European releases. Well, the vast majority of us, anyways - being the internet there are undoubtedly a few jerks that do so. But surely you don't consider yourself to be their European counterpart?

I had to import Chrono Trigger from the US in 1995.

That game wasn't officially released in Europe until 2009

You tell me.

I know that's an extreme example, but the cumalative amount of Europe being screwed over by release dates surely amounts to one or two games not showing up in America at all.

While it's smart to wait for the consumer response, I'd still say that with Nintendo of Europe doing all the translating for them, it wouldn't be that costly to bring them to the US right now. Still, as a European, I'll take any chance I get gloating over you Americans with your early release dates and $60 dollar games. Here they cost well over $100..

GeorgW:While it's smart to wait for the consumer response, I'd still say that with Nintendo of Europe doing all the translating for them, it wouldn't be that costly to bring them to the US right now. Still, as a European, I'll take any chance I get gloating over you Americans with your $60 dollar games. Here they cost well over $100..

You forgot to mention they usually get delayed releases and that's if they release at all. I'll take any chance to gloat and if I hear any Americans complains, I ATTACK. They get more than enough. They don't get to complain.

deth2munkies:I honestly think the games will probably fail. Europe has always been light in the RPG market and on top of it, the games are being pursued by a vocal minority, not a large segment of customers.

We'll see though. I personally am a member of the vocal minority that really wants to see these out here.

Light in the RPG market? What on earth does that mean? I thought we were pretty well set, what with Gothic, Risen, Witcher, STALKER and Divinity.

Yes Europe totally gets banged...big time when it comes to this kind of stuff so sure it is about time for NA to get its fair share of action but thats just not the way we roll. NOA can bite my shiny metal ass for not releasing anything other than re(...)releases of games just about the whole gamer world owns 5 times over already. At this point I don't think giving it a release would even win me back. NOA you broke my heart so now my wallet is closed. I say good day to you!

If you haven't installed the homebrew channel to your wii yet, you fail as a person. Seriously there is no reason not to. Homebrew does a better job at everything that Nintendo ever tried to do.

So because I haven't bothered to look into anything unofficial in regards to the Wii I fail as a person? Well, thanks for that, I guess, but you may want to consider for a moment that people are *gasp* different and that not everyone has the same priorities and interests that you do. You may be able to guess, but I don't even know what the Homebrew channel even is. Guess it's something to look into, though.

GeorgW:While it's smart to wait for the consumer response, I'd still say that with Nintendo of Europe doing all the translating for them, it wouldn't be that costly to bring them to the US right now. Still, as a European, I'll take any chance I get gloating over you Americans with your $60 dollar games. Here they cost well over $100..

You forgot to mention they usually get delayed releases and that's if they release at all. I'll take any chance to gloat and if I hear any Americans complains, I ATTACK. They get more than enough. They don't get to complain.

I actually edited that in right before you posted this :PI think that's a little extreme though, everybody should get to enjoy these games.

GeorgW:While it's smart to wait for the consumer response, I'd still say that with Nintendo of Europe doing all the translating for them, it wouldn't be that costly to bring them to the US right now. Still, as a European, I'll take any chance I get gloating over you Americans with your $60 dollar games. Here they cost well over $100..

You forgot to mention they usually get delayed releases and that's if they release at all. I'll take any chance to gloat and if I hear any Americans complains, I ATTACK. They get more than enough. They don't get to complain.

I actually edited that in right before you posted this :PI think that's a little extreme though, everybody should get to enjoy these games.

It would be extreme if the reverse wasn't happening in abudance. Just recently, Catherine. Gets great reviews, great sales, gamers love it, then you read about, you run to the stores to buy and... oh wait what's that, you live in Europe? Well, fuck you, you don't get the game. And I find it ridiculous that it's ALWAYS Americans who complain... Like they don't get enough already.

Bah. My Wii needs some action. It's been in a dry spell since DKCR. Oh, sure, it still gets the occasional replay disc, maybe partly out of pity, partly out of how comfortable it once was, and it has a kind of disc-buddy relationship with SSBB, when they're both around and not playing with anyone else, but it could use some new action. Skyward Sword in November? But nothing until then, eh? Alright, emulators it is, these older games need some playin' too.

You forgot to mention they usually get delayed releases and that's if they release at all. I'll take any chance to gloat and if I hear any Americans complains, I ATTACK. They get more than enough. They don't get to complain.

I actually edited that in right before you posted this :PI think that's a little extreme though, everybody should get to enjoy these games.

It would be extreme if the reverse wasn't happening in abudance. Just recently, Catherine. Gets great reviews, great sales, gamers love it, then you read about, you run to the stores to buy and... oh wait what's that, you live in Europe? Well, fuck you, you don't get the game. And I find it ridiculous that it's ALWAYS Americans who complain... Like they don't get enough already.

3DS is too expensive at 250$! While here it released for 270€...

Eeh, I may be wrong here but didn't we get Catherine just a few days ago, or will in a week or so? I agree that Europe usually get's fucked over and that that sucks, but two wrongs don't make a right.

lumenadducere:So because I haven't bothered to look into anything unofficial in regards to the Wii I fail as a person? Well, thanks for that, I guess, but you may want to consider for a moment that people are *gasp* different and that not everyone has the same priorities and interests that you do. You may be able to guess, but I don't even know what the Homebrew channel even is. Guess it's something to look into, though.

You do realize that by saying "Seriously" at the start of a sentence, that means the previous one was in jest right?

I actually edited that in right before you posted this :PI think that's a little extreme though, everybody should get to enjoy these games.

It would be extreme if the reverse wasn't happening in abudance. Just recently, Catherine. Gets great reviews, great sales, gamers love it, then you read about, you run to the stores to buy and... oh wait what's that, you live in Europe? Well, fuck you, you don't get the game. And I find it ridiculous that it's ALWAYS Americans who complain... Like they don't get enough already.

3DS is too expensive at 250$! While here it released for 270€...

Eeh, I may be wrong here but didn't we get Catherine just a few days ago, or will in a week or so? I agree that Europe usually get's fucked over and that that sucks, but two wrongs don't make a right.

As far as I know a publisher was announced and the game is slated for release in late October. It's fantastic for an Atlus title only to wait 3 months (Demon's Souls took 9 months, that's a nice and long wait huh?), but still. And yeah, you're probably right about two wrongs not making a right, but I'm just pissed about all the shit I've had to endure as a European gamer over the years and it almost brings a tear to my eye to hear we're actually getting something that the US is missing. I guess I'm just like that.

To be honest, I could care less about these particular games (not because of the games themselves, mostly because I don't have a Wii), so I'm mostly happy about Europe in general.

I find it strangely disconcerting that the North American and European people are deciding to stand at odds to each other. It isn't about NA gamers being entitled whiners and Europe being long suffering. It's about the company having business practices that the consumers consider unfair (whether that's true or not isn't the point; the companies success is based on how it is perceived, not how it actually performs). Gamers on both sides of the Atlantic need to fight for each other.

Take this case, for instance. Europe would benefit from having more people demanding fairer treatment, and America would benefit from sales of the Rainfall trio making localization more likely.

Charles LaRue:I find it strangely disconcerting that the North American and European people are deciding to stand at odds to each other. It isn't about NA gamers being entitled whiners and Europe being long suffering. It's about the company having business practices that the consumers consider unfair (whether that's true or not isn't the point; the companies success is based on how it is perceived, not how it actually performs). Gamers on both sides of the Atlantic need to fight for each other.

Take this case, for instance. Europe would benefit from having more people demanding fairer treatment, and America would benefit from sales of the Rainfall trio making localization more likely.

Bottom line: we're in this together, guys.

Shhhhhhhhh, just a little longer, I'm bathing in the tears of American JRPG fans...

...

...

...

Ok, all done.

Ahem.

You bastards! How dare you treat Europe with fairness for a goddamnded change!

drkchmst:Yes Europe totally gets banged...big time when it comes to this kind of stuff so sure it is about time for NA to get its fair share of action but thats just not the way we roll. NOA can bite my shiny metal ass for not releasing anything other than re(...)releases of games just about the whole gamer world owns 5 times over already. At this point I don't think giving it a release would even win me back. NOA you broke my heart so now my wallet is closed. I say good day to you!

true you rarely even here about it when Europe gets screwed over America speak up next time the Pal region gets shafted and maybe your region wont get shafted next. also Earth Seeker please no one but japan got that one T_T.